GT-1 (missile)

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GT-1
B-25 Mitchell

The GT-1 (Glide Torpedo 1) was an early form of stand-off weaponry developed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Intended to deliver an aerial torpedo at a safe range from the launching aircraft, the weapon proved successful enough in testing to be approved for operational use, and the GT-1 saw limited use in the closing stages of the war.

Design and development

The GT-1 was derived from the

Aeronca for the United States Army Air Forces.[1] The weapon's airframe was inexpensive and simply designed, with a basic wing and twin tails attached to a cradle for carrying the payload.[1] The flight path of the GT-1 was determined by a preset autopilot that kept the weapon on a steady course after release.[1]

The GT-1 was usually released from its carrier aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m); this provided a standoff range of as much as 25 miles (40 km) under ideal conditions.

explosive bolts would fire to release the torpedo, which would then execute a preset search pattern to locate and destroy its target.[1][2]

Operational history

Initially tested during 1943,

Okinawa in late 1945.[7] On one mission, against Kagoshima, eleven of thirteen GT-1s launched successfully entered the water; three hits were recorded, against a fleet carrier, a light carrier, and a freighter.[7] The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was also capable of carrying the GT-1.[3]

Following the end of World War II, the aerial torpedo rapidly fell out of favor as a weapon of war against surface ships[citation needed], and the 'GT' category of weapons was abolished in 1947.[8]

See also

References

External videos
video icon Preset Glide Torpedo Model GT-1

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Parsch 2003
  2. ^
    Esquire 1947; Volume 28, p.70
    .
  3. ^ a b Army Ordnance, Volume 30, 1946. American Defense Preparedness Association. p.384.
  4. ^ a b Cate and Craven 1958, p.259.
  5. ^ Daso 1997, p.82.
  6. ^ Goebel 2010
  7. ^ a b c Hanle 2011
  8. ^ Mann 2008, p.256.

Bibliography

  • Craven, Wesley F.; James L. Cate (1958). USAF Historical Division (ed.). Men and Planes. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. 6. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
    ASIN B000ZIBK5G
    .
  • Daso, Dik A. (1997). Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr. Theodore von Kármán. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Air University Press.
    ISBN 9781585660421
    . Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  • Goebel, Greg (2010). "World War II Glide Bombs". Dumb Bombs & Smart Munitions. VectorSite. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  • Hanle, Donald J. (January 2011). "Hail November". Air Force Magazine. 94 (1). Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  • Mann, Robert A. (2008). Aircraft record cards of the United States Air Force: How to Read the Codes. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
    ISBN 978-0-7864-3782-5
    . Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  • Parsch, Andreas (2003). "GB Series". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-02-02.

External links

  • Media related to GT-1 at Wikimedia Commons
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